In a foundry, molten metal is poured into molds. Pouring can be accomplished with gravity, or it may be assisted with a vacuum or pressurized gas. Many modern foundries use robots or automatic pouring machines to pour molten metal. Traditionally, molds were poured by hand using ladles.

High voltage electrical current is melting metal in this electric arc casting furnace. Foundries are dramatic. Huge furnaces, glowing with heat, transform chunks of metal into flowing fiery liquids. When ready, their contents are poured into waiting ladles amid a shower of sparks.

The casting foundry mainly deals with working on molten metal to shape a variety of casting applications. It is not exaggerative to appreciate that melting metal is the heart of the foundry. Melting metal is an indispensable casting process that liquefies the solid metal to pour into the mold and form the casting in whatever shapes.

This series follows a cast iron or steel product through the metal casting process in a traditional foundry. Iron melts at 2750°F and steel at 2500°F. Casting is the process of creating metal objects by pouring liquid metal into molds, where it cools and hardens into the mold’s shape.